Cotton-harvesting machine



Oct. 16, 1928. 1,688,312

O. ONSRUD COTTON HARvEsTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 272 Mrz/02":

Oct. 16, 1928.

O. OILSRUD COTTON HARVESTING MACHINE Filed sept. 13, 1926 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Cet. 16, 1928.v

, UNITED STATESA PATENT OFFICE;

osCAR oNsRUD, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoRgTo' L. I.. VALENTINE, or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS. 7

coTToNIIARvEsTING-` MACHINE.

Application filed September 13, 1926. Serial No. 135,58.`

' lates to that type of machine in which ther'e is a picker head at the tree end of a long flexible suction conduit which carries the cotl `ton libre gathered by the head to a bag or Civ other receptacle where it is discharged. Viewed in one of its aspects, the present m,-

vention may be said to have for its vobject to` produce a simple and novel arrangement of parts which will permit a bag or bags to be' edectively supported in such a manner-that the cotton` may easily be delivered thereto,

without causing the bag or bags to form obstructions as the machine traverses a iield.

The cotton is carried away from the head by suction to the blower that produces the suction, and is then pushed or blown from the discharge side of the blower into the bag or In yorder to force the cotother receptacle. y ton away from the discharge side ofthe blower, it is necessary that therebe a consid-- erable volume of air to carry the cotton.v

However, y if the suction conduit contains enough cotton to forma wall or brldge across the same, very litle air will be drawn .into

the blower and there will be insuflicient pressure to cause the cotton to flow normallyto the discharge point. Viewed in another of its aspects, the present invention may be said to have for its object to provide a simple and novel means for permitting a suiicient volunie of air to pass through the blower, irrespective of the amount of air that is travel ing through the intake. conduit with the cotton, to insure the successful discharge of the cotton.`

In its most specific form, the present inven-` tion contemplates the use Vof an air driven picler head and, viewed in 'another of'its aspects, my invention maybe lsaid to have for its object to produce a simple and novel construction and arrangement -for storingl air under pressure, equalizing the pressure, and delivering it to the operating mechanism for the picker head, by utilizing mainly elements thatare requiredv regardless of the typevot motive power I'or the picker head.

The various featuresVV oit' novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinaf- Figure l is a perspective view oi a machine arranged in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the pivotal ksupport for one of the booms thatserves also as an air reservoir; F ig. 8' is a sectiontaken approxi` nuitelyk online 3&3y OIF ig. 2; and Figa is a. top plan view of one of the blowers andV tlieadjacent portion of the inlet conduit.

Referring to they drawings, l represents a vehicle body, `which may, consist simply of a platform secured upon a heavy axle 2 in the form of an inverted U; there being vehi.- cle wheels Son the ends of the depending arms of the axle. Extending forwardly from the axle are shafts 4 between which a draft .animal may be placed. On the plat` form isr an air compressor 5 behind which are located two rotary blowers 6 and'7. On opposite sides ofthe compressor and blower. unit 'areracks 8 adapted to supportlarge bags 9, of which one is shown. The bags are suspended from the racks so as tobe held `opento receive the cotton as it is picked.`

"siderable diameter, each conduit having at its lfree end a picker head 13, themechanism in whiehisoperated'by `an air`-tnrbine in a housing 14; on the underside of the head.

Ul) i In order to supportthe flexible conduits so i as to hold them raised from the ground and at -vthe same time permit the heads to be moved about over-considerable areas, at will, I pro` vide swinging booms, one for each flexible conduit. y In the arrangement` shownyeach boom consists of alower or inner member 15. 1 in thevform of a tube orpipe ofconsiderable diameter, hinged to the compressor so asfto be capable of swinging bodily about avertical axis; together with fanouter or upper tubular member 16 connected to the.` memberl by a hinge mechanism 17; a tension spring 18v tendingv to ,hold the inembeivl raised, but

permitting it to' be' swung do'wn'i'vardly.r

lAs will hereinafter be explained, airis ad# mittedfrom the compressor into I the section 15 of each boom, through thel pivot of thatboom. The outer end of each member 15 is connected to the inner end ol the correspond'-V ing member 16 by a flexible pipe 19, whereas the outer end of each of the members 16 isconnected to the turbine chamber of the corresponding picker headl by a small flexible pipe 2`0 The detailsof the air inlet to each of the booms are best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in` which 21 represents a manifold into which air is -delivered y'ronitlie compressor. A nipple 21),

Vhaving heiiiispherical kupper end 223 is screwed into the manifold. A booin`support c ing' braclfet 23 has lin its lower end a seat 2 4! adapted' to litupon the lieinispherical upper end-of the nipple. A screw-threaded stud 25; havinga pointed lower end, extends downwardly through an overhanging arm 2G extending upwardly from a part of the compressor frame and lits into a conical recess 27 in the! upper endo'i theibraclet. .Thus

the bracket is-permitted t'oiswing about the nipple' and studas centers. There is al passage 2S extending upwardly troni the hemi splierical seat 24m the' bottom yofthe bracket and cominunicatin g at its upper end with ythe openingtlinto whichthe inner orl'ow'ertubularmember ot ,ther boom is `li'tted, soY that when the compressor ,isin operation, airwill enter the manifold and will then iiow through the lower pivot into Jthe boom and through the same tothe corresponding'picker head. The l capacity of the pipes inwhich the `booms are iiiade, particularly the inner or lower sections- 15,is considerable, soy that-the -bo'oins act as",

storage reservoirs :tor compressed air and' serve toequahze thepres'sure, so that the pres'- sure at each turbine will be comparatively even; f f n As thecottoii'is gathered by the picker heads,

it is drawn inwardly through the Vflexible' coni duits 12 to the blowersaiid is then discharged 'from the latter 'tl'iiough the discharge conduits 1Q into bagsvplaced to fi'ecerve it. The

' motive power for cairying'the cotton upward l ly from the blowers to points above the bags .depends upon vclume'ol air drawn through the blowers; It the cotton in one of the flexible conduits is packedI suiiiciently to 'form a' l closure across the same,even though the cotton be moving, insuliicient air will be drawn past the cotton and into the blower to insure the successful expulsion oit the cotton from the discharge conduit. I have thereforeprovided means whereby ther blowers are not compelled f to rely upon air drawn through the flexible conduits orthe purpose of discharging the Fig. 4, each blower has a central tubular1 incotton toward the' bags. As best shown vin the gate iirplacebut permitting it to vmoved c 'tl'ie blower' casing so as tovary the eiiective size ot the port openings or from' and towa'if completely'close the ports. The gate may have a flange 84 bent up a't one endv to serve as a hand-hold by means' ot which it maybe moved.- Normal'ly theports may be closed but, if it yis seenfthat the cotton4 is not being ,discharged lfreely, t-'he ports may .beA op'enedinore or' less until' the blower is given suiiicie'nt air, independent of that entering through the flexible conduit, toinsuresatis?- iactory discharge ot'- the cottonA i'eachi-ng'the blower.y

kI claim.:

1'.- In` ayeotton harvesting machine, along ieXible suction conduit ixed at one endl and having an aiu-drivenv picker head at theothei' end, a hollow swinging boom supporting the conduit to permit th'epicker'head to be moved over a" considerable area,- tlie boom being hollow to constitute a storage and pressuref requalizing reservoir, means for introducing air under pressure into the boom, and means ioi' delivering air :troni the boom to the' picker 2. In al cotton? harvesting machine,an airv compressor', as long flexibleV suction conduit' fixed at' onel end and having an aiidrivenf picker head at itsfitree end, a'hollow swinging boom pivoted to the compressor an d'v connected to the conduit to support the saine, there be'- ing ani airinlet troni the compressor tothe interior of the boom tlirou'gh the pivot of the boom and an airpipe extending from the boom to the'picker head. y

1 3. A cotton harvesting'machine comprisinga vehicle having thereon twoblowers and ai'i air con'ipressor, said air compressor hav- `ing adischargeA manifold, two booms sup` ported on said-manifold for, swinging` movements' about a i'fe'rti'cal airis, there being a passage' between the interior of the ina'iiii'ol'd and the interior ot cachot the booms,4 a long tieni ble suction conduit cio'i'inect'ed to' 'each' blower, one of said conduits'being supported on yeach oil/saids booms, a picker head on vthe vend ol" each conduit, and a connectionr between the interior of each boom and tlie corresponding 1 picker head.

'n testimony wl'iereol'f,-Isign this specifica# tion.

' oso-iin cassoni -sol 

